Russell Hobbs Breadmaker with Fast-Bake Function 18036 – White
About The Brand
Russell Hobbs was founded in the UK in 1952 by Bill Russell and Peter Hobbs, whose combined design and engineering flair allowed them to launch a company that remains a leading brand to this day.
Over the years, Russell Hobbs has built up a legacy of design and innovation that placed the brand at the heart of the consumer’s home. The first automatic switch off kettle, the first automatic coffee maker and even the first plastic kettle were all Russell Hobbs innovations.
Russell Hobbs Fast Bake Breadmaker 18036
Enjoy Fresh, Homemade Bread Quicker Than Ever Before!
There really is nothing like the mouth-wateringly delicious smell of fresh bread to make a house feel like a home.
By making your own bread at home you’re able to control what ingredients are used, from the type of flour to the delicious little extras like seeds and raisins. There’s no kneading by hand or oven baking required and you can enjoy a professional finish every time – no more sunken centres or crumbling crusts!
- Non-Stick Kneading Blade and Bread Pan Included
- 12 Programable Functions including Fast Bake, Cake and Jam
- Dishwasher Safe Parts
Key Features
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|---|---|---|
Fast BakeNo more waiting for freshly made bread. The Russell Hobbs Fast Bake Breadmaker features a 55 minute fast bake function, giving you the ability to quickly whip up a delicious white loaf if your friends and family descend last minute! | 12 Programmable FunctionsTo ensure you have the versatility to bake up your favourite type of loaf the Russell Hobbs Compact Breadmaker has 12 programmable functions. With options from gluten free, french, whole-wheat, cake and many more! Did you know that you can even use your breadmaker to make jam? Why not give it a go – you’ll always have something tasty to top your fresh bread. | Loaf SizesThe 18036 Russell Hobbs Breadmaker can make 1lb, 1.6lb and 2.2lb loaves allowing you to make bread at a suitable size for you. |
13 Hour Delay
The handy 13-hour delay bake function gives you the freedom of freshly baked bread at your convenience. You can set the delay feature at night so that you wake up to a freshly baked loaf for breakfast, or you can set it before a busy day so that you can come home to a crusty loaf to accompany your dinner.
Keep Warm
You may not be able to get to your bread as soon as it has finished baking and so the designers at Russell Hobbs have included an automatic keep warm function that will automatically keep your bread warm for 1 hour after the breadmaker has finished baking.
Crust Control
This nifty little breadmaker hasn’t left anything to chance and even features a crust control function allows you to select from 3 settings of how dark you would like your crust.
Easy Cleaning
For added convenience, the bread pan and kneading blade are both non-stick and are dishwasher safe, making cleaning up a breeze.
Product Specifications
- Non-Stick Kneeding Blade and Bread Pan Included
- Fast Bake Function
- 1lb, 1.6lb & 2.2lb Sizes
- 12 Programable Functions
- 13 Hour Delay Feature
- 7 Minute Cut-Off Memory Function
- Keep Warm Function
- Crust Control Function
- Dishwasher Safe Parts
- Non-Slip Feet
| Weight: | 4.32 kg |
| Dimensions: | 32.3 x 29.3 x 28.5 cm; 4.32 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Russell Hobbs |
| Model: | 18036 |
| Colour: | White |
| Colour: | White |
I have used a bread machine for over 10 years, my previous morphs Richards was great but finally gave up, I looked to replace it. This Russell Hobbs is certainly compact, i use my machine very regularly so it stays out on a work top and it’s a great size.
I make dough and use the regular loaf setting mostly, this machine is perfect for my needs. I would say it is quite loud on the mixing and kneading setting. This doesn’t bother me really and I’m sure I’ll get used to it. At the end of the bake setting there is a loud beeping that is good to make you notice your bread is ready, it especially alerts my husband!
I have found the darkest cooking setting not that dark brown so this may not be for you if you like a really dark crunchy loaf.
To people who’ve bought this (and any other bread machine) if you are unhappy with the bread you produce I’d encourage you to tweak the recipe, I have never used the recipes that come with the machine. Usually a poor loaf is because of the ingredients possibly down to the the liquid content ratio.
I have used most of the settings and all seem great except for the fast bake programme. The loaf came out uncooked and doughy on top and in the middle. I threw most of the loaf away. That said, I absolutely love my bread maker. I used the recipe book that comes with the maker initially but I have found some wonderful recipes on the internet. My cinnamon buns have already become a firm favourite and the French bread is crusty and flavourful. I love the timer function. I put all the ingredients in the machine, set the timer and go to bed and forget about it. The following morning I wake to the smell of freshly baked bread. I have never had a bread maker before and it seems I am hopeless at making my own. Now that doesn’t matter. I can have perfectly made bread every single time with zero fuss. I am very happy.
It took me a few trials to get the bread right, but I’ve sussed it now, and I foresee many happy years ahead, making gorgeous bread.
My last breadmaker lasted ten years, and was completely reliable… until the day when the paddle would no longer turn, and it gave up the ghost. I was very sad to have to replace it, but… needs must. This machine is excellent: you do have to juggle a bit with your preferred settings, to begin with. Although I never had to use sugar with my last one, it actually works to use a flat dsstsp of dark brown sugar in this one: helps the yeast rise, and the crust darken.
I’ve just made a delicious fruit loaf: three (organic) flours: white bread flour, wholemeal bread flour and wholemeal spelt; plus a generous handful of raisins – I mix them into the flours from the beginning: they disperse better. I never use milk, and don’t find it necessary. With this machine I’m finding (for a ‘small’ loaf) I need a little more water than I used for the old machine: three-quarters of a cup.
I’ve not used the timer function yet, so can’t comment on that.
Experiment! It’s fun, and soon you and your machine will grow to understand each other… 😉
Previously I have owned two Panasonic bread makers and compared with those I find the instructions are not as clear, and there is only a small leaflet supplied with recipes etc. Although the dough container is non stick I find the paddle is stuck in the loaf and comes away with a large amount of hot bread attached.. In future I will wait until the loaf is completely cold before I try to remove it. I never had this bother with the Panasonic, the paddle never stuck in the loaf. I suppose it’s a case of getting what we pay for!
This is a basic bread maker. I bought it to use at my holiday home. It’s not as robust as the Panasonic bread maker I’ve had for years. I find it difficult to position the pan in when it’s full of ingredients so tend to put the pan in first and the blade is a bit flimsy but it does make a decent loaf of bread.
You do have to ensure that you put the water in first ( unlike my Panasonic when it goes in last) .
I think I would buy a more expensive machine like the Panasonic if I was going to use this daily but for light use I think this will be fine.
I really wanted to give this 5 stars as it’s a great machine for smaller kitchen. I bought it to replace my older machine which has seen better days and takes up too much room both on the countertop and in a cupboard. So far, the loaves I have made with this have turned out so much better than with my old machine, however, I have had to drop a star from my rating because the paddle rips out a LOT of bread when removing the cooked loaf with most of it sticking to the paddle. I think this may be because it has quite a rough surface. Other than that, I would recommend this to other buyers.
his is a brilliant device,its step by step instruction booklet helps you make fabulous bread of all types no experience needed,I am very pleased with this breadmaker as is my family.
First product bought April 2021: Really pleased with this product. Reasonably priced, compact, easy to clean, good range of recipes to get started – seeded loaf and malt loaf are divine! And the dough recipe has made pizza making an absolute breeze. Only niggle is the paddle often getting stuck in the loaf but I don’t know how this could be rectified. Good that these can be bought separately as I imagine they may get damaged over time when slicing the finished loaf.
Take two! Machine failed on last three loaves (Aug 2021) even when troubleshooting using the guidelines. Contacted Amazon helpline and they replaced within 24hours, arranging for the faulty one to be picked up free of charge. Can’t fault the service here but bit anxious as to how long this one will last. I use it 2-3times a week and feel it should have lasted longer than 3-4months. Fingers crossed for this one!
This is a great little bread maker. It’s compact and easy to use & offers a nice array of functions – timer, different loaf sizes, crust colour and bread types along with cakes etc.
I’d do wish it had an internal light so could see the loaf rising through the window & a drawer for adding fruit and seeds etc that automatically dispense at the right time as I’ve had with other machines. However it beeps to let you know when you can add these by hand. This isn’t a deal breaker as the quality of bread is superior to my previous, more expensive machine.
I’m so pleased I brought this bread maker. Have used it regularly and bread turns out really well. So far have made white bread but mainly wholewheat. The choice of size and crust colour is really handy. Texture is lovely and springy not heavy. I’ve even used a packet of bread mix and it came out just as nice as when I use the individual ingredients. Would definitely recommend
This machine is more compact than my KENWOOD was which is good in a small kitchen but can still deliver 3 sizes of loaves. It cooks well, kneads efficiently etc. The noise levels in my opinion are very reasonable although in a flat I would expect you would be woken by the noise of the machine rather than the smell of bread if you used the time delay function.
If you have made bread before this is great, if this is your first machine then do buy a bread recipe book as the accompanying booklet is really not very helpful.
Again, if this is your first machine then the paddle will in some recipe stay in the bread and you will need to prise it out. This unavoidable unless you select a machine which has retractable paddle (I could not find one in the UK). Once you have the knack it will be fine and you won’t get the big holes you might get at the beginning. S Persvre and try plenty of recipe before settling for your favourite one 🙂
My only criticism would be that the blade can be a bit of a chore to clean, but it’s a small price to pay for cheaper, healthier and better tasting bread than the supermarkets can offer.
I spoke to a very helpful member of the Russell Hobbs support team. He said that all mixing and kneading functions are complete at 2 hours 5 minutes and that would be the time to remove the paddle.
I am only using the Bread Maker on Menu 8 (3 hours 5 minutes), the Sandwich Loaf therefore I did not enquire about any other mixes. I can only suggest that we try it. Good baking…
Loves the gluten free function/programme.
She says it’s extremely easy to use, clean and that the bread comes out fantastically well, would recommend to anyone!
The blade getting stuck in the loaf is so annoying and also having to use a grill to colour top of loaf on quick bakes. Its good with packet mixes too. Apart from that … its a good buy
Like the bread size! the blade however could do with some research,maybe its the shape! my 4th bread maker over the years,and the best one yet! shame the blade makes a large hole in the bread.
Had ours for three weeks now and after a couple of goes to get the knack we’re really enjoying it. Only issue is the kneading portion is very very noisy! Wouldn’t be much of an issue, it only lasts about 10 minutes, but if you’re planning on setting it to have bread ready for when you wake up it’s loud enough to wake the house up in the early hours!
For anyone wanting to try it here’s my recipe: in brackets is what I use but standard type works too.
310ml oat milk
60ml water
2 tablespoons oil (olive)
1 teaspoon vinegar (cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon salt (sea)
2 teaspoons sugar (golden caster)
450g free from bread flour
20g chickpea/gram flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
2 teaspoons easy bake yeas
This is my second breadmaker. The first one delivered dense and heavy bread, no matter how I tweaked the recipe. This one has given me soft and delicious bread exactly as I want it from the first time I used it. Have baked 5 loaves so far, all of them good except one which did not rise because I think I did something weird with the settings. The fastbake created a loaf in an hour which would have been fine for toast. The 3 hour program gives great results. My recipeL 250ml water, Tablespoon clover butter spread. 1tsp salt, 400grams white flour, sachet fast yeast, 1tsp sugar. Add the ingredients in the order listed. Biggest size loaf with lightest crust on program 1. ENJOY!
I chose this bread maker because I needed something compact for my small kitchen. It’s not perfect but it does make lovely bread – actually the granary loaf was excellent. It doesn’t brown the top as much as the sides and bottom which looks odd, but it doesn’t taste any worse for it. A few more recipes would be good. Oiling the paddle before use does make it easier to remove and less unsightly. I’ve experimented a bit with the recipes, found some online recipes as well, all have turned out well. I’ve found it easy to use. I’ve been converted to making my own bread now and I don’t think I’ll buy bread again!
Our first one was purchased in Nov 2019 & used at least 3 times a week since then. We extended the guarantee from 1 year to 2. Just as well as the heating elements packed up mid-March this year. A replacement arrived this morning, all under the guarantee.
Pros — easy to use & takes up little space. With the Timer, you can set it up to cook overnight.
Cons — the machine has to be pulled forward from the wall cabinets to allow the lid to be opened.
It ‘wanders’ when in use. More often than not, the paddle gets stuck in the cooked loaf. We made a hook to tease it out.
We found that, although shop-brand bread flour & packets are fine, the better the flour, the better the loaf. The best we’ve used was a Canadian Strong Bread flour, bought when nothing else was available but 50% more costly than own-brand. We use the Wrights mix for when we can’t be bothered with the weighing etc.
A word of warning to a new user — Small, medium & large refers to the height of the finished loaf, not its length. You’ll get the same number of slices per loaf regardless of the size.
Then we tried the dough function and we made some great pita bread and pizza, 1h30min for the dough is really really good. And the pizza dough was proper, tasted really good. (And I’m Italian).
Its good, made a nice loaf, however fisrt time was used it on wholewheat mode it came out like a brick, really successful when you use breadmixes though and our pizza dough turned out great!
It works. It makes bread the only issue is the finished product looks very anemic, like it’s still raw. Even on the darkest crust setting the loaf comes out virtually white. To get a reasonable colour on the loaf once it’s finished in the machine I put it in the oven for 20-25 min.
I like the ease of use and variety of recipes in the booklet. Just being able to add each ingredient to the loaf tin and let the machine do the rest of the work helps so much. Three things I don’t like: a) we don’t know how long each programme takes until we select it ; b) the paddle sometimes gets stuck inside the finished product and is difficult to remove ; c) the paddle always makes a hole inside the finished product.
On the whole my wife and I are very pleased with it.
Very pleased with my breadmaker which replaces a Curry’s one I had for around eight years. I am using the recipe from my Curry’s one which puts the liquid and milk powder first, followed by the flour and then the rest of the ingredients and it makes the bread beautifully. I have made both white, wholemeal and a mixture of both – have also made dough for chelsea buns and pizza dough. Doesn’t take up too much space and doesn’t move around on the worktop when it’s kneading. Haven’t put a rating for flavour as that depends more on your recipe. Four stars for easy to use as the liquid in the recipes is given as a weight and I prefer to have it in ml.
So I’ve had this 4 months and haven’t bought a shop loaf in all that time … It’s got super easy ease to use. Keep digital scales handy and weigh the amounts in the detachable baking tin … my only criticism is the mixing paddle sometimes detaches into the loaf which is what we want but half the time rips a hole in the bottom as it doesn’t detach. Personally the wonder of easy fresh bread bypasses that … but next generation needs to address this so it is the prefect loaf please but for now I say buy this
Love this machine. I do bread rolls several times a week so it gets a lot of use. This must be my 5th machine – used more for making dough than making bread although bread when baked has been good. This machine has a very rigorous mixing action but does produce good dough. Very happy with purchase. Also worth noting that I like this one because it’s the most compact of all the machines I’ve owned.
Really enjoying this bit of kit. The machine itself is good quality, looks really smart, but does have quite a large footprint, as you would expect. It come complete with recipes for 12 different kinds of bread. All those we have tried are delicious. We have had no shop bought bread since buying this.
It is quite noisy, so we keep ours in the utility room, and most recipes take about three and a half hours, but there is timer, so you can set things up for your bread to be ready at a given time.
Great fun!
First bread maker I’ve had and glad I bought it. Love getting up or in from a walk to the smell of cooked bread.
So easy to use and to clean. I can get a loaf on the go within 5 minutes .
Ive found the texture of the bread is affected by what flour you use. The best ones I’ve used are from Marriages and Shipton mills.
I use it every 3 days and normally bake a medium loaf for the 2 of us.
The setting of the program is slightly different to the old version and the recipes for breads are markedly different in some cases compared to the recipes for the older version. All in all, it does the job for which it was bought, meaning that Chorleywood bread can stay in the shop!
I went for this machine because it was reasonably priced and I had no idea how I’d get on as I’ve never owned one before. What a fantastic little bread maker this is, I’m so pleased I really can’t fault it. I’ve also tried the pizza dough recipe and made my own pizza and bread rolls which I now make on a weekly basis. The instructions are easy to follow, it’s not noisy, a decent size and not too big so doesn’t take up too much storage in my kitchen cupboard (although it’s more out than in!). Love it and would highly recommend.
I only gave 4 stars as would have liked more info and more recipes. My first bread maker therefore nothing to compare it with. Good price, size and easy to use. It’s stable and doesn’t walk across the surface as I’d read in one review. Bread is tasty but I don’t like the gaping hole in bottom of loaf. However I’ve learned this is a feature in most bread makers. I would definitely recommend as I’ve made some really tasty bread with ease.
Makes better bread than my old machine using the same recipe. One small complaint is that the paddle sticks onto the drive shaft when you take the bread out of the pan, so it makes a mess of the underside of the loaf. It would be better if the paddle detached form the drive shaft so that you could extract it from the bottom of the loaf without too much damage. Other than that, excellent for the money.
Easy. Very easy to use. Just put the ingredients, close the lid and walk away.
The bread tastes nice, I’ve tried a few basic programs and now I’m thinking about experimenting with different flavours.
Very easy to clean, just pour some water in for 2 mins and everything will come off.
Comes with a basic recipe book (I recommend watching their YouTube video about the correct way to measure ingredients)
Cons:
It does vibrate so make sure it’s on a nice and stable surface with some distance from the edges.
It’s always on if plugged in which I find annoying but I’ve ordered a smart plug which I’m going to be putting on a timer.
The blade (or whatever this bit is called) is often getting stuck inside the loaf or leaves a hole inside it. I’m thinking about trying removing it once all the kneading is done but the problem is I have to find it out when exactly it’s done for each individual program.
I bought this to replace the breadmaker I’ve had for many years for which I could no longer get parts.
It’s a lot smaller and sleeker than my old one and I’m quite pleased with it. I would have given it 5 stars but for the fact it’s quite noisy when mixing and kneading and it can be a little difficult to remove the pan.
Nice design, easy to clean, and clear timer instructions. However, it does leave a hole in the bottom from the ‘paddle’. And the recipes are somewhat limited. I wanted something that would prepare bread dough, that could then be put into my own baking tin for the oven, but I cannot do this. We haven’t had much success in getting a nice shaped loaf, although it did taste okay. Will have to keep trying I guess. Wouldn’t buy it again though.
Yes, it’s a little annoying that the paddle leaves a small hole at the bottom but I think this is standard for bread makers. Difficult to see how manufacturers could avoid it? Considering the price, I think it’s a really good deal and would certainly recommend it. It also looks quite stylish.
Quite pleased to find that I haven’t been ripped off for a change, which is why I’ve written this – as normally I wouldn’t bother.
Well just look at the pictures! The bread is tasty and so fluffy that you can put enough ingredients for a 1kg loaf! Absolutely brilliant!
It’s easy to use and is a lot more compact.
What a great bread making machine! Easy to use, well made, compact at a very good price.
Just made my first loaf, half wheatmeal and white, took 3 and a half hours not too long, rose well
And made a superb loaf? Yum yum. I will make a lot more! Great! Also it only took 3 days to arrive,
Very quick service? Very impressed with all of this and can recommend the machine to anyone,
Hurry up and get one at this super price !!!!!!
Bought this to bake Hovis granary bread using Hovis flour. It worked perfectly from the first time. The loaf produced was just as good as the bread bought from a bakery. You must follow the instructions about using the exact amount of each ingredient, using electronic scales and being accurate. It is worth the extra trouble to get a really good loaf of bread. I have only used it to bake granary bread which does take over 3 hours in total. The equipment is easy to clean and does not take up much room. The only small fault is that the paddle which does the mixing often gets stuck in the base of the baked loaf so the finished loaf has a hole in the base after the paddle has been dislodged. Must also follow the instructions about allowing the bread to cool on a rack before trying to cut it. I am very happy with this bread maker.
Makes a decent bread but leaves a rather large hole in the base. Quite noisy in operation and moves about a bit. I use the dough cycle and then bake in the oven. Sometimes the timer function comes in handy if you want fresh bread in the morning or evening. Good value for money and satisfied overall.
Super easy to use. Just three settings to preset: select program, size of loaf and crust size and then just let it work it’s magic.
When experimenting with flavours like cheese or slightly wet ingredients, its best to reduce the amount of water you put in, otherwise it will rise too much.
My only gripe is the limited selection in the recipe book. Russell Hobbs really ought to set up some kind of forum for people to share recipes and tips.
Other than that I really look forward to trying other recipes and ideas. This a week: a garlic with cheese and herbs loaf…
I will never buy normal loads again! Tb
Bought this during the start of the Covid outbreak when getting bread was next to impossible. It arrived super fast and is so easy to use. I struggled to get the bread to fully rise at first so I put the water, sugar and yeast in first. This gives it a few minutes of activation time whilst I measure out the rest of the ingredients. That seems to do the trick and now I have lovely bread every time. Don’t expect perfect results straight away. You have to experiment a little bit to get it just how you like it.
Compact – takes up little space for a bread machine. Excellent little suction cup feet grab the work surface so it doesn’t move while operating. Makes fab small and mid sized loaf shape loaves (my old machines were more brick shape). Really pleased. My old machine packed up just before lockdown. This one is providing us with very tasty fresh granary bread – following the machine handbook recipe (and substituting olive oil for butter). Also making good pizza dough (BBC Food recipe).
So….I’ve tried and failed many times at baking bread the trad way. The present situation (lock down) made me want to try again, lets face it I have plenty of time right now. Anyway I was like…don’t keep trying and failing, just buy a machine that does it all for you! (but don’t spend a fortune on it)
This machine was sold out here on amazon but I placed an order anyway, it came within the week. I used the recipe in the booklet to make a plain white loaf (750g, medium crust)….it worked perfectly 1st time! it was also the best loaf of white bread I ever tasted!
I couldn’t recommend this machine highly enough.
This machine is tricky to set up as the display lights are virtually impossible to see. Also there is no way you could set this going overnight as it’s very noisy. Apart from the general running noise,it rings an alarm part way through so you can add fruit or nuts. Also you need to remove loaf as soon as it is finished or you will have trouble getting it out the pan. Overall though it suits my purposes and at least I have control over what my bread contains.
Bought on a whim, turned out to be one of the best purchases I’ve made. The machine is simple to use, and the bread tastes so much better than most shop bought loaves. A small loaf costs about half the price of one bought from the supermarket.
Because it contains no preservatives it doesn’t keep as long, but the upside is because it’s so tasty, it’s eaten very quickly. The timer is child’s play, and who wouldn’t want to wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread?
One of the very few purchases I’ve made where the novelty hasn’t worn off, and I wish I’d bought one years ago.
I recommend the full 3 hour 20 minute bake, but if you are in a hurry the longer fast bake, fast bake 2 makes better bread. Put a little more yeast in for fast bake.
A small flat digital weighing machine is good. Put the baking bread mould on the top, zero it and go by weight.
200 ml of water weighs 200 grams, so I have settled on 300 flour to 200 water, which works well for a good sized loaf. Home baked loaves keep longer in the bread bin without going moldy. They are great for toast on the second day.
Use bread flour of course. If you want brown bread a 50/50 mix with white is less heavy.
A little butter added along with sugar and salt works well.
Nothing like the aroma of a hot loaf. You get the aroma around the house as it nears completion of the baking cycle. Extract the metal baking mould and stand it to cool a bit before removing loaf and put on cooling rack to avoid condensation.
I give the instruction for non-chefs like me!
To be honest, it’s possibly the best present I’ve ever bought her, the bread is wonderfully made, tastes brilliant, the instructions are perfectly clear, and the included recipes easy to follow. I would recommend a set of decent electronic scales to accompany the machine. Cleaning it is easy.
It’s the “best thing since sliced bread” – honestly..!
Seems to work really well , just made my first lemon and poppy-seed loaf last night and it turned out much better than expected for a first time bread maker like myself – just follow the rather comprehensive instructions and recipes and you will have perfect, great smelling and tasting fresh bread.
Machine also seemed to turn itself off after baking which is a good electricity saving function too.
Must admit I am very impressed and will no longer be buying supermarket bread but making my own from now on in this excellent little machine!
There’s the usual good range of settings. If you pick the wholemeal setting, it has a half hour delay while it gently warms up tht machine. Push your flour down into the liquid before you add the ingredients, enough to get more of the flour wet but not the top of the flour, so thay the yeast and such are unaffected, and that way you will get a bit of an autolyse, which improves the flavour.
With the lowish height of my wall cabinets, I have to pull the machine to the front of the worktop to get the lid up fully. Whatever you do, push the machine right to the back of the worktop before you start it. It is quite feisty and moved about a bit, and the one time we forgot to push it all the way back, we heard a loud crash and found it had hurled itself off the counter and was on the kitchen floor. Amazingly, it still works fine. Putting a non-slip mat underneath helps.
The smell of bread baking is amazing, and knowing you don’t have to go out for bread is brilliant. (I ended up with 16kg sacks of flour as it was all I could get for a while, so I haven’t had to buy flour in about eight months, and I’m just getting to the end of those now.)
There’s a delay timer, which is handy. I don’t put it on in the early morning for breakfast bread, however, as I live in a one-bedroom flat and the thumping from the next room would wake us up. Remember that with all bread machines, you need to take the bread out shortly after it’s done. I try to make sure it’s on by mid-afternoon to give the bread enough time to cool after it’s done.
The paddle gets stuck less often than in my Lakeland, though I think they all do sooner or later. I can’t be bothered to oil it properly, but I do pour the oil over it when I’m putting that ingredient in.
Get the recipe book “Brilliant breadmaking in your bread machine”, and make sure you are measuring everything accurately (measuring spoons, measuring jug, scales for the flour). The recipes that come with machines are usually a bit rubbish, don’t judge by those. It may take you a whole to get used to a bread machine if you are not used to them, but stick with it, you’ll have delicious bread very soon.
This is what happened with the first one I bought:
We never got a chance to make bread in this, because it turned up unusable. The bread tin will not come out of the machine. Three people tried. I’ve used a bread machine for years, so it’s not a matter of not knowing what to do. The loaf tin is not sitting square to the machine or even itself, the whole thing looks distorted. Clearly it’s a faulty one, but I’m probably not going to get a replacement. It has to be pulled all the way to the front of the worktop and then turned ninety degrees if you want to pull the bread tin out without having to hold the lid open with your other hand (later note: I got the hang of this without turning it in the end), and with my compact Lakeland (which I was going to replace in the hope of being able to bake bigger loaves), you only had to pull it forward a bit before the lid would stay open. My wall cabinets are on the lower side, but even so. I don’t have much worktop space and don’t usually have enough clearance for faffing around like that, that’s the whole point of wanting a compact model.
I chose this model as I have a small kitchen and it needed to fit on the available work surface. Also I live alone and only need a small loaf every few days. The first attempt was a bit of a failure with a cakey texture and went stale very quickly,
so I tried a recipe from my trusty bread book by Catherine Atkinson which I recommend if you want to be a bit adventurous . She suggests using a dough enhancer which I got from Amazon, and I made a traditional wholemeal loaf. I haven’t looked back since and the bread is delicious and stays fresh for days. If like me it is your first time using a machine be warned, when you have set it up and turned it on nothing happens for ages. I got in a bit of a panic and turned it off and started again! It has to warm up before the mixing and kneeding gets going so just go away and forget about it. Eventually you will hear it start. Also the whole process takes over 3 hours. But it’s worth the wait!!
Not really sure how you get around this but if anyone has any advice, I would be happy to hear back.
I use the basic program medium size and brown crust which turns out fab every time.
I can’t comment on the timer because I’ve not used it but the machine is simple and even I manage to produce fantastic bread – following the recipe in the booklet produced a slightly crumbly loaf (using Doves Farm GF Brown Bread flour) so I added 7g of xanthan gum and 10ml of water and bingo! Perfection. (You may have to experiment a little to find what works best for you but the recipe booklet is a good starting point.)
It is as simple as adding liquid ingredients, followed by dry ingredients with yeast last of all (if using the timer you must keep the yeast dry so it doesn’t activate before the machine starts working), selecting your loaf and menu setting (pressing a button until your option appears on the easy to read screen) then….let the machine get on with it.
I don’t have room to leave this machine out on my work surface – it is compact enough to put on top of the kitchen cupboard and is light enough that I don’t have any trouble lifting it up.
I was skeptical about buying this – like many people I have bought brilliant sounding kitchen gadgets only to find they don’t actually work as well as I had hoped or they don’t fit into our lifestyle and they just end up cluttering the place up before being donated to charity BUT…..this beauty gets used roughly every 5-6 days without fail and does a brilliant job. We’ve had this for almost 6 months and are still impressed with the results!
I highly recommend this machine.
Setting it up took a bit of getting used to so read the instructions carefully, if you want to pause the program and go back to where it left off then switch it off at the mains – you’ll have 7 minutes to do what you need to. If you use the Start/Stop Button it will start the program from the beginning. So the 1st loaf I made I had to learn this and the loaf was restarted a few times, it came out not looking too good but tasted fine.
I mostly use Granary Flour and was dissapointed when I saw the size it came out, as it used to be much larger in the Panasonic. However, I must admit it was much nicer consistency from this machine which in turn made it a lot easier to cut, so I’m extremely pleased with this.
I don’t normally eat white bread but had a couple of loaves for other people who raved about it. I decided to try it for myself on the 3hr+ program Wow! I’m hooked, it was lovely.
I did try the 1 hour program for white bread too and wasn’t impressed, the loaf tasted okay but it created that type of dough that sticks to your teeth, some people like that.
Making bread can be a bit of trial and error but I found following the recipes straight from the booklet supplied was successful. I use Dove’s Granary Flour, I think I used Tesco White Flour and Wright’s Seeded Bread Mix.
I would highly recommend you give this bread maker a try. If you register your purchase with Russell Hobbs they will give you an extra year Guarantee
Edit 14th Feb 2019
Started using this and a couple of things to be noted.
# It moves around on the worktops so you need to keep an eye on it. When the dough is in a ball state it thumps around moving the whole machine. So could be dangerous and fall off the counter.
# Would be better if it had suction feet to give it some stability. I think to feel safe if you can’t be in the kitchen for 3 hours. I would put it on the tiled floor to save any potential damage.
# So far I have failed twice, so on my third batch, I would say that’s more about me and not the machine. It does make quite a noise tho. Will update how this batch goes 3rd time lucky
# 17th – ok Third batch turned out much better. Better to under measure the flour than over measure. The flour in bags is compact so fluff it up some before you measure.
# Difference between bought bread and hand made very different..
Wish I had bought one earlier.
I’m very pleased with the bread it makes. I used it just last night.
I would have preferred it to be taller inside because when I make the largest size of loaf it will often touch the top of the inside of the breadmaker causing it to not form a crust there. But that’s a minor quibble. The medium size loaf is perfectly ok.
Does the job well and especially good for making dough. The loaves I’ve cooked have all turned out well.
On the negative side – a little more explanation regarding the different programmes would be useful in the instruction manual. For example – they have fastbake I and fastbake II with no explanation given as to the function of each programme.
When kneading starts the dough hook has a tendency to push all the dough to one side which is OK if you are doing a small or possibly medium loaf but if you put in ingredients for a large loaf it actually makes it overflow the top of the container and then drops down into the bottom. Not sure if this is a design fault with the dough hook but needless to say won’t be making any more large loaves.
I bought this to replace the same model (it had basically worn out after 18 months of 2-3 loaves per week). It has good clear instructions with 10 different bread recipes to make, plus a jam recipe and a cake recipe. I confess I have made only the regular, 2 x fastbake, wholemeal, pizza dough and sandwich loaves. All turned out excellently. I also use the dough recipe to make regular bread and put it into a loaf tin. I have never used the timer function. I found the bread is tasty but doesn’t keep for a long time (a breadbin is a good buy)
Here are my tips:
1. Always hand wash the baking tin – in my experience the dishwasher is too harsh on anything that is non stick
2. I wipe a little oil around the baking tin and the paddle before use
3. The recipe book gives you the order of adding ingredients – I split the yeast into 2 and add half into the warm water and then half after the flou
Does what is says on the box, decent loaves, tastes great; what more could you ask for?
Tip – if you like real butter, stick a teaspoon in with the water before the dry ingredients – makes the bread come out a bit softer and also buttery before slapping even more butter onto the warm bread after 🙂
I have had this bread maker for a couple of weeks ( my first) I have made several different breads I find this very simple and user friendly every single loaf has been fantastic saying that it is very important to weigh all the ingredients out first in little bowls so you can add them with no messing about I personally like the sandwich loaf the best as it is really soft and stays fresh for days also I substituted the white flour for granary which is lovely also my son is vegan so I used almond milk which seems to make the bread lighter I didn’t like the dried milk option so again you can substitute that with regular milk or almond etc pizza dough was brilliant also the machine does sometimes move around the work surface at the start but not a problem I don’t think the machine is noisy at all also I have had no issues with the paddle it hasn’t got stuck at all I would recommend this bread make
Have been using this bread maker for 5 months now. Don’t buy shop bread anymore! We like the Sandwich loaf program the best. Have used it as just a dough mixer too and cooked rolls in oven, lovely.
The more you use it the more confident you get at trying out your own recipes. It does take a bit of trial and error at first. Prefer smaller loaves as easier to slice with good knife. A good knife is a must. It is only a basic machine but good for the price. Got an extended guarantee by registering on line too which was free. If you are not sure if bread makers are for you ist a good basic start. I might upgrade later now knowing how much we use it as some of the more expensive models do more.
A warning if the family call round, especially the grandchildren and they smell it cooking it gone before they leave.
(Still using my bread maker, been a great little machine and had lots of use. Its only just become noisy but Russell Hobbs are replacing it for me just to be on the safe side.Great customer service, they even phoned me back after my initial email concerning it. If you register it on line you get much longer cover .
This is a good machine and does exactly what it says it will, unfortunately for me, I had to send the first one back because of an intermittent fault, but it’s replacement came within two days and I’ve had no trouble since. My only tiny little gripe – which stops me from giving this a fifth star – is that having had a previous machine made by someone else, I did expect to have the odd bits come with it, odd bits such as a hook thing to remove the paddle from the bread should it become entrenched there and a measuring spoon which is important to have when making bread. People who don’t get this latter item could be left guessing certain quantities and when the bread comes out not right…they will wrongly blame the machine whereas the fault will lie with Russell Hobbs for being to stingy to include a bit of plastic.
This is a good all round bread maker, for the price. You can’t expect a top of the range bread making experience for under 50. If you want something more ‘involved’ then buy something in a higher price range.
It has several settings – I usually use ‘menu 2’ which is for french bread, as it kneads the dough a bit longer than ‘menu 1’ the basic setting and I find this makes the bread a little lighter, whereas with the basic setting, the texture is a little dense. I also keep the crust setting on medium as the light is too light – it looks undercooked and unappetising, and the dark crust is too dark and gives the bread a bitter taste.
Make sure you clean it well with hot water when you’ve turned your bread out and try not to use too much soap.
Overall, a good product that I use regularly and never fails to turn out nice fresh bread in just over 3 hours. Yes, it is a bit basic, but how complicated does a bread maker need to be?
Received the breadmaker within estimated delivery date, protectively packaged and in good order. Easy to follow instructions, helpfully simple programmes to choose from and a good range of recipes included in the instruction manual. Admittedly used a ready mix packet of Malted bread for my first go. After three and a half hours and allowing the bread to cool, was very pleased with the tasty result! Great recommendation to weigh liquid rather than using a measuring jug (change ml to same amount in grams) to ensure accuracy. Instructions also contains plenty of other sensible advice, put across with good humour. Have always felt a little intimidated ‘re breadmaking. Thanks to these instructions, I will definitely continue to make more bread, and look forward to trying the varied recipes. I would advise that you ensure the breadmaker is on a level, well spaced worktop. It does tend to travel a bit early on in the programme when kneeding, worth keeping an eye on it to check you have it in a safe position for future use. Impressed it was not too noisy. Pleased the outside casing does not get too hot to touch when in use. Non stick loaf tin very easy to wash, used a cocktail stick to get any remnants of cooked dough out from under the paddle and around the drive shaft. Am very happy with this versatile breadmaker, and would recommend it as a good starter for a novice, without the high price tag. Glad I took the plunge and finally bought this brilliant breadmaker!
I bought a Russell Hobbs 18036 in August 2011 and have used it for one or two loaves every week (to Feb 2014). The breadmaker has been excellent and the bread delicious! Now it has begun to wear – as the spindle begins to wear the plastic bearing in the baking tin, it allows traces of flour/water to enter, which then bake hard. This causes more wear, etc, and must be soaked to soften before the next use rather than have the motor force the paddle round. Now the spindle can drop out, but I have found a way to keep it in place and it still works well (a replacement tin costs 33). I have found the same with other brands before this.
My favorite recipe for everyday bread is: water 300 grams, salt 4 grams (dissolve together and put in the tin first) about 6 grams butter, strong flour 500 grams (half and half wholemeal/white), and put 3 grams fast acting yeast on top, set to small size, medium colour and go, or set the timer. The only snag is that a hole is often made in the bottom of the loaf as I shake it out, as the bread sticks to the paddle and the paddle sticks to the spindle, but it always tastes good!
I have not made bread for over 20 years. Due to surgery my arms are not as strong as once were, so the idea of a machine that could kneed the dough as well as bake appealed to me. Having never eveen seen a Breadmaker in action I did not know what to expect. I didn’t know the thing would keep stopping/pausing, so I kept restarting it. Now I know that is part of the process – shame they don’t explain that in the Instructions for us newbies! Didn’t know how long it is supposed to take either – no info on that either.
However, I left it on & went to bed and in the morning there was a lovely wee loaf all cooked and Golden. I will experiment with the recipies, it is fun & caused quite a curiosity in the family, better than watching TV!!:)
This is a great product, makes good bread without any effort.
The bad points; it doesn’t come with a recipe book. The instruction manual has just one recipe for each cycle and that is it. The manual is overall very poor. No way to find out what are the cycles and how long they last for each bread. For making French baguettes, for example, there is no French dough or artisan dough cycle, so the only option is to put French style bread cycle and remove the dough by guess so it doesn’t bake. I tried all of the cycles and can say the fast bread cycles are just useless.The result is not edible.
Good points: It makes tasty bread. The dough cycles makes perfect pita and pizza dough, The wholemeal bread comes out really good . And I was really happy to make my own Russian black bread with thyme. I think that one is my favourite so far.
I have been using an old Kenwood for about 10 years which I thought did a pretty good job. It’s taken a battering so I decided to retire it for this new Russell Hobbs model. This really makes an excellent and much improved loaf and perfectly every time. Very simple controls indeed. The only reason I gave it 4-star is that I have to use the darkest selection to get a medium tanned loaf top but the texture is way improved on my old Kenwood using the exact same recipe. It also has a finer “paddle” than the old model and does minimal damage to the loaf when extracting it (unlike the old model which took a chunk out!) Very pleased with the results overall.
I’ve had this model for a month now, and have used it every single day. The first couple of loaves were not great. I was using Wright’s breadmix on the small loaf setting. They came out ok, but were very short. Then I switched to medium loaves using Dove’s Farm organic strong white flour and their quick yeast and followed both the sandwich and basic recipes to the letter, and every loaf has come out perfect. I tried a large loaf which also came out great, but too tall for my liking. My only gripe is the paddle always ends up stuck in the bottom of the loaf, and if you try and pull it out as soon as you remove the loaf from the machine, you will find it is VERY hot.
Bloody good!! Gotta say I went 4 the lower price end of the market hoping that pervious reviews of this product would b right. They wer!! For the money a really good bread maker. We r a family with young kids & we lov the bread & the fact that y can reduce salt, sugar & oil as y like. Y do hav 2 play around with recipes & find what works 4 yr taste but a v good buy. The only point I’d raise is that the mixing paddle can get stuck in finished loaf (we find it dosent get stuck that often) but wen it does it will take a bit out of the loaf. This does happen with all the bread makers I’ve looked at , but its a point 2 kno b4 y buy. Plus the loaves r a diff shape 2 shop bought which surprisingly is a prob cos they r taller (don’t fit in toasters or lunch boxes as easily). Having used ours 4 3 months now I’d say its a v good buy y do save money!!
I have used a breadmaker for years and was surprised at the very reasonable price of this one. I have always used my breadmaker to avoid the rather long kneading process and rising at the beginning of making rolls, buns and freeform bread, and so looked for a machine that gave the option of a “dough” program. Although this machine does have a dough setting, it is rather confusingly named in the instruction book as just for a pizza dough…the one thing I never make! I did contact the makers who did get back to me and confirm that the program could also be used for a bread dough. However there is no indication at what stage fruit or extra ingredients need to be added….this can make a difference to the initial rising of the dough. This is a small fault and would only apply, if like me, you frequently made teacakes, and hot cross buns etc. and like to shape your own bread and buns. I am willing to experiment, but I feel this would have been a better “option” than such programs as jam and cake making….after all this is a “Breadmaker”! The pizza dough program however copes very well with my normal bread recipes and makes a good textured loaf and plain bread rolls for me to shape and finish off in the aga. I am hoping for a good result with Hot Cross Buns however … but as yet I have not added any fruit to my dough to check that this program can also cope with a fruited mix.
After first reading lots of reviews,i had no hesitation purchasing this breadmaker and up to yet it has proved to be an excellant choice.I received it last week and have used it 3 times already.All 3 loaves were made from packet mixes,crusty white,wholemeal and cheese and onion bread which have all been excellant,far better than shop bought.I can reccomend the Wrights breadmixes and also their cake mixes which can also be made in the breadmaker.Even cheaper(59p)Aldi have 2 breadmixes which were the first 2 loaves baked in my new breadmaker which were also just as good as the Wrights(89p)I have since been back to Aldi to stock up before they sell out!
I Have yet to try a loaf from scratch,but with such good results from the mixes,and at such a great price,why bother?
I am going to make the malt loaf next,from the book that came with the machine.
Looking for a good recipe book now so that i can try different types of bread.
So glad i got this machine,i won’t be buying any more bread from the supermarket as it does not compare with home made
ps I only paid 47.99p with free postage for mine but have noticed that the price has risen quite a lot since last week so shop around before buying.Happy baking!
It’s that ill fitting paddle onto the spindle. Over time it will wear the
spindle or the flat key surface inside the paddle (or both). Having
considered the problem, I made a round sleeve from ba*ofoil which i had
folded twice thus 4x thicker than normal. Made it half inch longer than the
spindle & twisted it to a point for guidance for the paddle. I managed to
wrap the foil around the spindle 1 and half times, which gave a tight
“starting fit”. Push the paddle as far onto the spindle as you can. This
bit is CRUCIAL. Underneath the pan, The spindle is around 1/4″ below the
base rim. You MUST support that end of the spindle, or you could buckle the
pan. I went outside and found a flat stone about 1/2″ thick, but small
enough to fit inside the base. Placed it on a solid floor. Placed the pan
over the stone making sure the spindle end was on the stone. I got a wooden
rolling pin & Standing above the whole ensemble I put the end of the
rolling pin onto the top of the paddle HUB (not the blade), & pushed hard
until i felt it sink as far as it would. Trim the end of the foil off.
OK, So now there is a slight gap below the paddle, where foodbits will collect.
Fill the pan with water, Leave overnite And either use a toothpick or run water
from a full-on tap & the goo is gone. I only use this unit for Dough making. Keeps
the kitchen spotless.. Ha ha. Otherwise..!! This is a reasonable bread/dough maker.
.
I bought this a week ago and have made a loaf a day. The basic white loaf is superb, easily as good as a supermarket. Equally, the brown loaf tastes like one of the leading supermarket’s specil brown loaves. It really is nice. The sandwich loaf recipe is okay and the French loaf recipe is not my favourite but these are down to taste
The machine is very easy to use, althought I must admit, I have had no cause to test the timer function yet as I’m an early riser so I just tend to put the ingredients in the breadmaker when I’m making my morning cuppa and then we have a fresh loaf of bread ready for lunch.
I would recommend reading the instruction manual carefully as it’s full of useful information about preparing your ingredients to ensure the best possible loaf.
The paddle does get stuck in the loaf more often than not, but I simply pick it out with a toothpick – it’s not a problem and I imagine all breadmakers will have this issue. It doesn’t remove any bread with it if you pick it out carefully rather than just yanking it out.
Everybody might have a different experience with this product but mine was a positive one. First of all it is dead easy to setup and read the information book. I would have appreciated a more thorough read with perhaps a couple or more recipes. I used fast bake 2 programme to produce a spelt loaf by using a recipe from Doves Farm and the result was spectacular. A crunchy all over crust with a soft centre. A dollop of good butter and you’re eating the real thing!
Noise wise, it is slightly noisy but i would be concerned mostly if you live in houses made with paper walls. It is more quiet than a Kenwood Chef on low setting but will definitely try the timer feature to have fresh baked bread in the morning.
I would honestly recommend it as it is not that expensive when compared to other brands especially since they make the same thing!
This is a very solid, well built product.
I must confess I don’t know much about bread makers, never owned one before and never really looked into buying one until now. I did some research and read the reviews on a few sites. It seems there are 3 kinds, expensive ones that work well, cheap ones that work well and cheap ones that are rubbish. I wasn’t in the market for an expensive one so this Russell Hobbs seemed to look the right tool for the job. Well priced and the reviews say it works well. Having owned it for a week now I have made 2 brown loafs in it, both turned out well and are very tasty. I think it’s a great piece of kit; the instructions are easy to follow, the settings on the machine easy to configure, put the ingredients in and that’s it, you just wait for it to beep when the bread is ready. You will need some scales and measuring spoons to get your ingredients right (the bread maker doesn’t come with any extra stuff) but I guess most people have this sort of thing already. I am very happy with the results, the break maker does a good job and was well priced. It has enough in the way of different bread programs and features, including a time delay function that I can’t see me needing to upgrade for a long time to come.
Replacement item as mine gave up the ghost. Was a little concerned in terms of reading previous reviews of the noise aspect, however I personally didn’t find it too noisy although my partner did comment about the noise. The tin size is ok, for my first loaf I selected the medium crust and the loaf came out very pale so I put in my oven to darken a little. Since then I have just used the dough setting and then placed in a tin for the last rise and baked in my oven-results were vastly improved and looked like a proper sized loaf. The recipes in the book are limited to say the least so would advise obtaining recipes from the net or books. That said for the price great machine. Delivery was very prompt and extremely well packaged. Would recommend.
Damn you Russell Hobbs, your machine makes bread that is too tasty! Honestly I can’t see how you could get better bread from a more expensive machine. The procedure for baking is simple, but I would advise fully reading the instructions, and following the steps to the letter. This includes details like warming milk before adding to the mixture, and weighing out the proper quantity of ingredients. Our first attempt was a lighter bake sandwich loaf, with thinner crust. It turned out perfect. The consistency was light, moist, tastes great, and it makes absolutely perfect toast. I’m looking forward to trying the other programmes, including pizza dough. Watching the baking process through the window is fun, and we couldn’t wait to try the finished loaf, which took about 3.5 hours to complete. The only tiny inconvenience is that the small mixing paddle in the container ends up embedded in the bottom of the bread, but is easily extracted.
In summary we’re really pleased with this product, excellent value for money. I can’t see us ever buying another loaf of bread from the shop. Best thing of all is that your bread is fresh, and free from any artificial preservatives and other junk!
I had the Panasonic SD255 machine before but it died just out of guarantee and have been without a machine for many months. On a whim I thought I would check out the prices but decided the Panasonic was far to expensive so I bought this cheaper one.
The Russell Hobbs is much more compact and indeed will fit under the kitchen wall cupboards with the lid lifted, a bonus as I have wall cupboards over all my work spaces.
With the viewing window I can monitor the dough right from the start, so if I need to add that drop of water or bit of flour I can have it ready to drop in very quickly as soon as the lid is lifted.
This machine is capable of making jam and cakes it also has a keep warm function the Panasonic had none of these.
I have also noticed that when the machine is switched on it immediately goes into action mixing the ingredients – no sitting about. (obviously would hang about if timer is used). A superb loaf of bread in 3hours and 20minutes instead of 4hours that the Panasonic took.
Some reviewers have mentioned that the machine is noisy, mine is, but I put that down to the dough getting a thorough pounding rather than going round and round stuck to the paddle doing very little.
A lovely machine, compact and easy to operate, easy to clean. I’m looking forward to making many fresh and tasty loaves of bread.
There are a few mistakes or at least they look like mistakes in the recipe book. For example the basic white loaf small and medium have the yeast measurements back to front so just be aware and look at all the sizes of loaf and compare.
The machine itself is stunning, even though it looks naff. I have used this every day now for 7 weeks and I love it. We have not bought any shop made bread since this little beauty arrived at our door. The sandwich loaf recipe is as close as possible to “normal” bread but we have reduced the fluids in that by 15 ml however the wholemeal loaf we have reduced the fluid by as much as 35 ml but play around with the fluid levels yourself.
One major point that imho the instructions do not push enough and that is be exact. Measure the water / milk 1ml=1g and use proper measuring spoons that you level off with the back of a knife. Only by being exact can you add / remove to get your perfect loaf every time.
We make a medium sandwich pretty much every day and a wholemeal for breakfast toast every 3 days. I have used it to make breadcakes (dough program) and we make a small french loaf when we have soup. For the price this machine is perfect but remember to be exact with the measurements as it makes a massive difference.
I am seriously thinking about buying another to put away incase they stop making this model 🙂
I bought this because I had used a Breadman Junior for several years, and it was brilliant. This isn’t as good a machine in my opinion with regard to the quality of the bread. Also it doesn’t cope well (in my opinion) with fruit breads.
Worst of all the display is dismal – silver letting for the menu on a grey background. Almost invisible. As is the electronic display for loaf size and browning. I have to work virtually by touch with it, because I certainly find it hard to see.
That said, I’ve given it a four star rating because it does have a better paddle than my old machine and I like the shape of the loaf.
The Russell Hobbs 18036 breadmaker is the first machine that I have bought and used, so I cannot compare it to previous breadmakers.
It looks stylish, has a modern push button operation and is of good quality. It is easy to use and the instructions are easily understood, as long as you can read English!
The first loaf baked was a success but the crust was a little pale in colour, the next loaf was also a success and was baked on the darkest crust setting,
but for my liking, was not as dark as I thought it should be.
All in all a good breadmaker at a sensible price, but I am only awarding it four stars because of the lack of crust browning ability.
I have now baked many loaves of bread with this and as long as you measure your ingredients accuratly, you will consistently have a great loaf of bread, albeit slightly pale!
It mixes well – I have had no flour left in corners as reported by other reviewers. The crust is not dark, which I don’t find a problem, but if you are looking for a dark crusty loaf then maybe this is not the machine for you. It is not unduly loud, it is easy to use and easy to clean. It has a fairly small footprint which was a significant factor in my decision to buy.
If you are going to get one of these then stock up on ingredients, either packet mixes, or all the other bits, and stock up on butter. Fresh bread, still warm is irresistible.
I did a lot of research before finally deciding to by this breadmaker. I’m so pleased with it, the price was good, the delivery excellent, in fact it arrived a day before I was expecting it. First of all I made a granary loaf using a Hovis bread mix, it rose well and came out fine but I felt that it was a bit heavy so probably won’t be using one of these mixes again. Since then I have made a basic white loaf and the sandwich loaf from the leaflet included with the machine. These have been lovely, I used the medium loaf size which is actually quite big. I had also bought a recipe book separately and made some white rolls out of that but was disappointed with the results, they were quite hard but the only thing that I can put that down to is that the recipe didn’t include any fat or oil whatsoever. In future I will always try to make sure to include some sort of fat. All in all I am extremely pleased with my new toy and won’t be buying bread from now on!